Reading tips
Physics is not only formulas and calculations. It is also stories, surprising questions, experiments and attempts to understand the world.
In these books you can find new views of familiar phenomena, or meet physics there is no time for in lessons. You do not have to read a book from cover to cover. You can start with one chapter that interests you.
If physics interests you, these books are worth a look. They cover the history of physics, everyday phenomena, thought experiments and some rather unusual questions.
Borrow from Lauri The first nine books on the list are on my own shelf, so feel free to ask to borrow them!
Herra Tompkins fysiikan ihmemaassa
Borrow from Lauri
What would happen if the speed of light were as slow as the speed of cars? Imaginative adventures make the strange effects of relativity and quantum physics understandable.
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- easy–intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1, FY4, FY8
Kuolleiden kanssa kassajonossa – Tieteellistä aikamatkailua
Borrow from Lauri
Could you travel into the past? Or into the future? The book explores time and the possibilities of time travel from the point of view of physics.
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1, FY8
Entäs jos… / What If?
Borrow from Lauri
What would happen if everyone in the world jumped at the same time? Absurd questions lead to surprisingly serious physics and fun calculations.
- Language
- Finnish / English
- Level
- easy
- Especially for
- FY1–FY4
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Borrow from Lauri
More imaginative questions with scientific answers. Could you cool the atmosphere by opening every freezer at once? The book shows how physics can be used to investigate almost any question.
- Language
- English
- Level
- easy
- Especially for
- FY1–FY4
Seitsemän lyhyttä luentoa fysiikasta
Borrow from Lauri
A short, thought-provoking book on the big ideas of modern physics: relativity, quantum physics and the universe.
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- easy–intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1, FY8
The Physics of Superheroes
Borrow from Lauri
Could Spider-Man really swing from his web? How fast could the Flash run? And how do Superman's powers square with Newton's laws? The book examines superheroes' abilities with real physics.
- Language
- English
- Level
- easy–intermediate
- Especially for
- FY2–FY5, FY7
Ajan lyhyt historia
Borrow from Lauri
Where did the universe come from? What are black holes? Does time have a beginning or an end? A well-known classic of modern cosmology.
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- intermediate–demanding
- Especially for
- FY1, FY8
Pimeän aineen arvoitus
Borrow from Lauri
Most of the matter in the universe is invisible. How do we know it exists, and what could it be?
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1, FY8
Thirty Years That Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory
Borrow from Lauri
The quantum revolution of the first decades of the 20th century, told by a physicist of that era. Planck, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrödinger and the other founders of the theory all appear.
- Language
- English
- Level
- demanding
- Especially for
- FY8, FY14
Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life
Why does popcorn pop? Why does drying coffee leave a ring? Everyday phenomena open connections to the big principles of physics.
- Language
- English
- Level
- easy–intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1–FY4
Laskette varmaankin leikkiä, Mr Feynman!
Humorous and sometimes astonishing memoirs of a Nobel-winning physicist. Above all, the book is about curiosity, experimenting and the way a scientist thinks.
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- easy
- Especially for
- FY1, FY10
Fysiikan sankareita viideltä vuosisadalta
Stories of the people who shaped physics, from Pascal to Higgs. A good choice if you want to know how ideas in physics have changed.
- Language
- Finnish
- Level
- easy–intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1, FY8, FY14
The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments
Ten landmark experiments in the history of science. The book shows how a simple but cleverly designed experiment can lead to a great scientific discovery.
- Language
- English
- Level
- intermediate
- Especially for
- FY1, FY10
The Flying Circus of Physics
A collection of strange, fun and sometimes dangerous-looking phenomena of physics. The book invites you to ask questions and look for explanations.
- Language
- English
- Level
- intermediate
- Especially for
- FY3–FY5, FY10